


After Hours

by Between_A_Dream



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: AU, Addiction, Alcohol, Drama, F/F, Friendship, High School, High School AU, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Teenage WayHaught, Trigger Warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-03 00:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16316024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Between_A_Dream/pseuds/Between_A_Dream
Summary: Waverly has happily spent as much free time as possible in the library for the past two years. Nicole has actively tried to avoid the library at all costs for the past two years. But as the moonlight streams down on a cold night in December, it seems that the rules work differently after hours.





	1. This Secret Place

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!!! I know that I literally have so many other stories to update and I promise you I am updating them!!! I know I have this problem a lot and I’m so sorry, but sometimes my inspiration levels really do get low and it’s hard to make myself write something I’m happy with. This first chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I was expecting it to be, but I think I'm happy with the turnout! Maybe! IDK I'm extremely indecisive guys! But regardless, I’m really looking forward to this story and I hope you all enjoy it too!! This will include a lot of slowburn romance, and I’ve always wanted to write a really detailed multichapter story for teenage high school WayHaught and the gang, so here’s my attempt at it! Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to include supernatural stuff in this story or not, I still haven't decided, but when I do decide I'll either let you guys know I won't be including it or I'll let you guys find out when I update with something supernatural!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole Haught is struggling to be okay with the news that her parents are getting a divorce. Waverly Earp is struggling to be okay with the return of her sister after not seeing her in four years. Maybe it’s by random chance or maybe it’s by some stroke of fate, but somehow their collective suffering guides both these troubled souls through an unforgiving December snowstorm, where they are destined to be brought together in their high school library. It seems that after hours, things work a bit differently than they normally do.

Although this was her first time stepping foot inside the library since her freshman year, Nicole was almost positive that the room was much colder than it should have been, even at such a late hour. Not that it bothered her. Nothing she could think of could really bother her at this point, so she hugged her sweatshirt a little tighter to her chest and continued through the maze of shelves containing what had to be thousands of books. Though it wasn’t much, the room was at least a few degrees warmer than the cold breath of December that raged on just outside. She’d run the 15-minute route from her house to the school, letting the burning sensation of frigid air fuel her to keep going as it seared the inside of her lungs.

Nicole couldn’t even remember the last time she’d held a book in her hands outside of class, let alone made any attempt to read one. She’d always been a decent student academically, at least enough to avoid any confliction between her grades and athletics, but in relativity to her personal vocabulary, reading and pleasure were two words that rarely found themselves used in the same sentence. It wasn’t easy to see the titles of the books through the darkness, but she let her fingers glide smoothly across the spines as she walked passed them, a touch that was somehow oddly comforting hidden in the shadows of the shelves on either side of her body.

Though she was grateful for the silence and segregation the school’s library provided her, if she were being perfectly honest with herself, Nicole couldn’t rationalize an explanation as to what she was doing, isolating herself in a dark corner of the school after hours. Really, divorce between older couples wasn’t something unheard of anymore, and hearing the news hadn’t come as a shock. If anything, she had almost anticipated that announcement for quite some time.

The red-haired teenager couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her parents getting along when not under the careful watch of family or some other company, and it was probably for the better that they separated as early as possible. Still, the decision of her parents to finally split left Nicole with an impossible choice, neither of which presented her with a favorable outcome.

Should she stay with her homophobic, racist, and sexist fascist of a mother who would quite possibly kill her youngest daughter were she to discover that she had snuck out of the house? Or should she move in with her equally homophobic, racist, and sexist alcoholic of father who didn’t care about anything that didn’t get him drunk as quickly as was possible?

With either parent she would be living under the guidance of someone she loathed, and though it was probably the wiser of the two options to remain in her own house with her mom, there were small benefits to moving into the small two-bedroom apartment with her dad that made her hesitant to stay. After all, with her mom, there was no hiding of incriminating text messages or social media accounts, and if her grades dropped anywhere below a B punishment was involved. Her mom even demanded to know what her phone password was at any given moment in time, whereas Nicole was unsure if her dad was even aware of what her cellphone looked like. It was much easier to avoid being questioned about her personal life when it came to her father, and most of the time he was too drunk to even notice her presence in the first place.

And anyway, even after her own personal witness of over a dozen drunken arguments her father had started after finishing a pack or so of beer, Nicole had never once seen his aggression drive him to physical violence, and as far as she knew he had never raised a hand to either her mother or herself while under the influence of alcohol. It was her personal belief that any actions committed by an intoxicated individual were only an extension of actions they could contemplate while they were sober, and that alcohol acted simply as a false source of confidence that allowed those actions to come to fruition. And so, Nicole was almost positive that- Despite his bigoted beliefs and contentious nature- Her father didn’t partake in the act of physical abuse.

Regardless of all this, it wasn’t like it where she chose to live would really have a major effect on her life outside of the house anyways. She hadn’t bothered concern herself with offending one of her parents with her decision and seeing as how both were staying in town at least long enough for her to graduate, no matter who she chose to live with she would be seeing them both regularly enough. Being the small Canadian town that it was- One that didn’t even make an appearance on a handful of maps- Purgatory wasn’t really known as the type of town that could offer a wide variety of activities to choose from in terms of self-entertainment.

There was exactly one movie theatre, a small handful of various restaurants and cafes, Shorty’s bar, a small gym, a pet store, and a bowling alley. Other than that, to find anything worth spending time on, it was at least an hour’s drive to the nearest city, or the occasional get togethers between groups of high schoolers in which a bonfire was hosted in the large, empty field near the edge of town.

Nicole had attended a few of these parties with the captain of the boys’ basketball team and her close friend Xavier Dolls as company, and she would typically run into members of the various sports teams she was a part of, be it softball, basketball, or hockey. However, soon enough both she and Dolls grew bored of the fires, where there was nothing to do but watch the flames burn until it they had been reduced to nothing but ash and make up excuses as to why they wouldn’t partake in drinking any of the provided alcoholic beverages. Personally, the auburn-haired teenager had seen enough of the effects intoxication had on the mind, and she felt no desire to bring that influence upon herself. She had never really questioned Dolls as to why he steered clear of alcohol, but whatever the reason, she was always grateful that she wasn’t the only one.

It was only when she began to feel salt water stinging in her vision was Nicole dragged back into reality, back into the abandoned maze of bookshelves, and she bit down on her lip as she bitterly tried to hold the burning rivers back. It was a rare sight for the ginger athlete to shed tears, and she wasn’t about to break that reputation without a fight. It was painful, but she forced her eyelids open anyway and wiped furiously at the corners of her eyes in a desperate attempt to keep the urge to cry at bay.

“Dammit, come on Haught! Get it together,” she scolded herself angrily, hugging her arms against her chest. She could almost hear the voices of her teammates, challenging her to overcome her emotions and take whatever came her way without question. Lots of her friends’ parents were divorced, so it wasn’t like this was a concept that was foreign to her, and even if she tried to reason with herself in every way that was rational and logical, she couldn’t ignore the beating pain in her chest as she made her way through the dark library corridor, eventually coming to a stop at the back wall.

Nicole stood frozen, now facing a massive pane of frost-coated windows, all illuminated by streams of steady moonlight as they sparkled against the translucent barriers. She took a seat on the window sill, her frame leaning against the wall as if it’s support was the only thing keeping her upright, and her knees found their way to flatten themselves against her chest while her arms wrapped around the lower half of her legs to keep them in place. Silently, she listened to the wind howl from the other side of the glass, screaming its bitter cries while the ground was blanketed in a grand layer of ice and snow.

“Nicole?”

The sound of her own name startled her, and though it was quiet enough that she could almost convince herself that she had imagined it, her head regardless snapped up in the direction she was semi-confident the sound had come from. That voice- A girl’s voice she didn’t immediate recognize- Was somehow incredibly familiar despite being registered at just louder than a whisper.

“Who’s there?” it was only then that she noticed there were tears on her cheeks, so while she meant to make her voice sound intimidating, instead it came out cracked and high pitched, to the extent that Nicole could hardly recognize it as her own. She watched as the outline of a petite, shadowed figure slowly grew closer and more recognizable against the dark backdrop of the library shelves, until without a warning, she was staring into the unmistakable face of a practical stranger.

A stranger, who she would recognize anywhere, with her perfectly sculpted jawline and cheekbones of equal caliber, piercing hazel-green eyes that stared into the very depths of Nicole’s own soul, long strands of brunette waves that cascaded ever so flawlessly down the length of a delicate spine, and pink-tinted lips that were all too fragile to be quivering as they were in their current state.

There, in front of Nicole- With her petite frame glowing in the ivory light of the moon- Stood none other Waverly Earp.

* * *

Waverly could hardly admit it to herself, but for what had to be the first time in her life, she was not roaming through the endless isles of books for the sheer pleasure of it. Not this time. Not when she’d just borne witness to a sight she had dreamed of endlessly for countless nights as a child, though had eventually come to accept would only ever occur in such a dreamlike state. Never in the past three years - Not even for a moment- Had she once allowed herself to consider that such an event had a possible chance to exist, simply out of fear that it would serve exclusively to stir up old memories of false hope and optimism, all childish ideas that would surely lead her back down a road of heartbreak.

But no. This time- When she heard the sound of gravel churning beneath old rubber tires and she watched her sister Wynonna step through the old wooden front door of Gus’s antique house, suitcases in hand and a hopeful half-smile on her face- It was not the product of a dream. Her eyes were not deceiving her, just as the arms that wrapped around her torso were not imaginary. The scent of Jasmine shampoo and breath that reeked of sickeningly sweet cherry brandy had long ago been comforting, but now it proved to be a bitter aroma, one that soured as it hit Waverly’s nostrils and instinctively caused her nose to wrinkle at its exotic nature.

Even the old leather jacket that encased Wynonna’s body- That same one she had owned since she was 17 years old- Now proudly displayed the fade and wear of years of travel, a stranger in a once familiar place. Its scent- No longer resembling a crackling fire under a clear Purgatory sky- Had now turned to a rancid, alien combination of airport waiting-room chairs, freshly rotated hotel bed sheets, cheap lavender sandalwood perfume, and faint undertones of cigarette smoke that turned Wynonna’s formerly recognizable embrace into something entirely foreign.

_“I’m… I’m not coming back Waves. I can’t stay in this place anymore. Not now… Not after everything that’s happened here.”_

They were words that Waverly remembered well, words that she had indignantly burned into the back of her mind and allowed to painfully scorch her memory night after night for the six months that followed. Words that had been whispered to her years ago, in hushed tones under the guise of midnight shadows. Words that- By the time Waverly had entered her freshman year of high school- Though buried deep in consciousness were never truly forgotten, instead masked by the painful execution of fraudulent smiles and spurious bursts of laughter. There was no question as to what they were referring to. Their mother abandoning them. Their father’s death. Their sister’s disappearance. Nothing good had ever come from Purgatory for the Earp family, and the two young girls who were forced to bear the name were no exception.

It was the memory of those words that- Ultimately- Refused to allow Waverly any sort of feelings that resembled something celebratory or joyous when she saw her sister walk back into her house, back into her _life_. Instead, it pointed her towards the open front door, through which she ran into the unforgiving December night without bothering to put on any sort of layer of warmth, and was too overwhelmed with emotion that- While she normally would’ve immediately started to freeze- She simply pressed on without any disregard for the sharpness of the winter air as it sliced against her skin.

She approached the red Jeep Cherokee that she’d received as a birthday present when she turned 16 and was climbing into the driver’s seat before either Wynonna or Gus could think about stopping her, and by the time they could process what was happening and run outside after her, she was already speeding down the driveway coated in ice, with a blizzard of snow and hail whipping at her windshield as she turned onto the road and headed towards the school.

She knew that the library would be open, simply because Elaine- The school’s head librarian- Could never remember which key- Among the various others on the ring she had been provided with as a staff member- Was the one that unlocked the library doors, so she never bothered to lock it at all. Waverly had happily spent as both a freshman and a sophomore in high school as the only student library helper, a task that she was just as eager to continue with through her junior year, and through this she had come to consider Elaine one of her close personal friends. She was at least sixty, though it was possible she was older (Waverly had been too shy to ask about her age when they had first met, and by the time they conversed on a regular basis she forgot to ever bring it up) and during free periods in the brunette teenager’s schedule she gladly spend her time with the older woman, listening intensely to the colorful stories Elaine spilled about her younger years.

Even when she wasn’t busy working, Waverly found that she began to spend more and more of her time amongst the maze of bookshelves, either searching for new reading material or simply listening to another story about some adventure Elaine’s path had taken her on. Normally the library was pretty quiet, and students didn’t usually occupy any of the space unless a class was being held inside for whatever reason, be it a research paper or some other lesson in which the resources of the school’s athenaeum of books were helpful or necessary.

But, for once, roaming through the endless hallways of books could not serve as a leisure for the young Earp girl. Now, they provided her solitude, confinement, a dark place where she could curl into the shadows of the night and remain hidden from the judgements of wandering eyes while she broke down. And if she hadn’t been sitting with her back against one of the many shelves amongst the myriad the library had to offer, she likely wouldn’t have noticed through the gaps in the books the shadow of another person walking by in the next isle over or heard the muttering words of a voice other than her own as they passed. The voice wasn’t audible enough for her to make sense of the words, but regardless- Waverly’s curiosity about this shadowy figure’s identity was peeked, and her confusion as to why they were also currently in the library after hours was only growing stronger by the second.

Only when she was sure that the other occupant of the room had passed did Waverly stand and cautiously make her way back to an opening in the shelves where she could follow the direct path of the stranger. She watched the person- Whom she could almost definitely say was a girl through observing their body figure from behind- Make their way around the corner at the far end of the isle, and she hesitated for a few moments before proceeding to follow. When she neared the end of the corridor, Waverly’s eyes landed on a fellow student who was indeed a female- And one she was familiar with, at that.

Nobody in Purgatory High- Not even underclassmen or the kids who actively displayed their annoyance with athletics of any kind- Was unfamiliar with the name Nicole Haught. With the title of captain in every sport she played, Nicole remained the star catcher in softball, the lead point guard in basketball, and the most impossible goalie to score against in hockey. In each of these sports she also held school records for the most homeruns and RBI’s in a single softball season, most baskets scored over her entire career in basketball, and the highest count of personally scored goals during a single game of hockey. All of this was made even more impressive by the fact that she was only a junior, and still had another year and a half left of school to continue breaking her own records.

To say that Waverly was shocked to see someone like Nicole in a place like that was an understatement, and she paused as she tried to think back on the last time she’d seen the ginger set foot in the library, if such an event had ever even occurred in front of her at all. Not only was the athlete’s presence surprising, but her demeanor was equally puzzling, as she was curled into the corner of the window sill, her gaze fixated on the snowstorm currently raging on outside.

“Nicole?” she called out tentatively, hoping to avoid startling her acquaintance more so than was necessary. She watched as the athlete’s head looked up in her direction, freezing in place in case she had to- For whatever reason- Make a sudden break for it.

“Who’s there?” it came out not with the ferocity or intimidation that Waverly was expecting, as she had only ever been given the opportunity to hear Nicole’s voice while she was passionately cheering on her team during games, and it now possessed a sudden softness, one that seemed odd and out of place for the normally feisty and confident redhead. Instead of answering vocally, Waverly simply stepped further and further out of the shadows, until she was standing about five feet away from Nicole, and she stood in place wordlessly, unable to fathom what to say next and regardless, not brave enough to speak aloud even if she did possess any type of conversation that would’ve seemed fitting anyway.

* * *

For a long moment that stretched into some unit of time much longer and more uncomfortable, the two girls remained motionless in their place, neither one daring to break the silence that had fallen between them. Both were of course curious as to the presence of the other, and both equally lacking in any sort of logical reason that would explain their purpose in being there. Nicole was first to make any move at all, slowly but steadily letting her knees slide down until her legs were stretched out in front of her and swinging them around so she could stand upright.

Waverly had of course known that she was shorter than most girls her age, and she was just as aware that Nicole outdid her height-wise by a substantial amount but standing just mere steps away from her in the solitude of the library put into perspective just how profound their height difference really was, with the athlete towering over her by anywhere from ten to twelve centimeters. She was hesitant to look anywhere near Nicole’s face, but out of the corner of her eye she could see that the ginger’s gaze was fixated on the floor just in front of her feet, so she chanced lifting her head and looking more directly at the taller girl.

Tears were visibly noticeable on her cheeks, and Nicole let them fall freely to the floor without showing any sign of wanting to stop them, or even noticing them in the first place. Her lips, typically a pleasant shade of fleshy-pink, were now coated in a white layer of chapped skin, with drops of blood trapped beneath the scabs in numerous varying areas. Her hair fell in perfect auburn curls that stopped just a few centimeters below the tip of her shoulder blades, glistening in the dim illumination as would a burning ember still embedded in a forgotten fire. Even her eyes, once playfully free and tenacious in nature- Now appeared drained of their former energy, caramel irises reduced to nothing more than soft brown pools, perhaps ones that resembled the thoughtful gaze of a doe staring at some distant, unknown point of focus.

Only then did the cold begin to affect Waverly, and her attention was diverted temporarily from her classmate when she felt a layer of goosebumps rising on her skin. Instinctively her hands were rubbing her forearms in hopes of providing herself with some source of warmth, and she could not only hear but feel the chattering of her teeth throughout her entire frame. This sound was also audible to Nicole, and immediately at the sound her head snapped up. It was only then the athlete noticed the overt lack of winter clothing the brunette girl was wearing (She was dressed only in slip on boots that barely covered her ankles, a pair of black yoga pants that she had pulled up to her mid-waist, and a white sweater covered in red geometric patterns and made from a material that was too thin to possibly offer her any sort of warmth.

Without giving herself time to hesitate or think further about it, suddenly Nicole was sliding her heavy green winter coat off her shoulders and wrapping around Waverly from behind. This was an action that surprised them both, but the redhead held up her hands when her shorter companion opened her mouth to protest and shook her head.

“I’m alright, I’ve still got this,” Nicole gestured to the thick, boysenberry-purple sweater she was wearing underneath her coat, and with a small nod of acknowledgement and gratitude, Waverly allowed herself to slip her arms into the coat and hug her arms around her torso. “Sorry if it’s a little long on you,” the taller of the two girls apologized, to which she was answered with a wave of disregard from her companion.

“So… I uh… I know this is kind of personal, but… What are you doing here?” Waverly finally gathered the courage to speak, and simultaneously Nicole seemed to have temporarily lost the confidence she had just displayed moments ago.

“Well…” Nicole stopped for a moment to let out a short laugh, though not out of joy- Rather in a tone of almost complete disgust and disbelief. “I… I don’t really know where to start,” she finally settled on a response, then allowed herself to lean back against the wall and slide down until she was in a sitting position, with her legs crossed in front of her and her hands in her lap. Waverly paused for a few moments, as if contemplating her next move, then carefully took a seat beside Nicole while maintaining what she considered a safe distance between the two of them so not to make the athlete feel claustrophobic or crowded.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Waverly quickly spilled out the words and nearly stumbled over them, hoping to make sure Nicole was aware she didn’t have to talk about anything she didn’t want to. “I mean, if you don’t want to, if you’re not comfortable or you don’t feel like talking about it, you don’t have to! In fact, I can leave if you wanna be alone, I’m sure you didn’t come to a place like this looking for company. No, no of course you didn’t. No one would show up in a place like this in the middle of the night if they weren’t looking to be alone-” she continued to pour out what was now nothing but word vomit, all too aware that her voice was slowly going higher the longer she rambled. Ever since she was a kid, she had struggled with anxiety that was only made worse after Wynonna left her, and one of the main ways her anxiety influenced her was the way it forced her into nonsensical ramblings whenever she was nervous or uncomfortable. “And besides, I shouldn’t have interrupted you in the first place, I wasn’t even thinking about that! God, I shouldn’t even be here. Why am I here? I should be-”

“Waverly!” Eventually, the Earp girl was cut off by the sound of her own voice, and she looked up to see Nicole staring directly at her. The interruption successfully intruded upon her train of thought, rendering her at a sudden loss for words. She felt her cheeks burn scarlet with embarrassment while she opened her mouth to apologize, although the only sound that came out was a barely audible squeak in the back of her throat. “It’s alright, I’m glad I’m not completely alone in here,” Nicole assured the shorter girl in a surprisingly sympathetic voice, offering a small, half-grin as a way of affirming herself. Waverly could only match the expression in return, and the corner of her lip quirked up into what could almost be considered a smile.

It lasted only for a moment at best, however, and quickly Nicole’s eyes dropped again as her attention returned to the much more serious matter she had been agonizing over in her head since the moment she found out. Waverly’s eyes looked on with nothing but concern, and the ginger teenager bit down hard on her lip as she battled against another string of tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

“So, I… I know this is stupid… It’s ridiculous to even be upset about… And it’s _definitely_ not worth crying over, but…” Nicole gave herself a moment to gather her confidence before continuing, and she avoided eye contact with Waverly at all costs when she resumed. “Earlier today, I found out that my parents are getting a divorce. And I know- I know that it’s probably for the best because they haven’t been happy together for a long time, and they’re _always_ fighting about one thing or another, but I… I don’t know, it still feels like I’m losing something… I’m losing that sense of having a normal family, even if it wasn’t true to begin with. I know it isn’t normal to have a dad that’s drunk for longer periods of time that he’s sober, or to have a mom who couldn’t care less about whether or not I’ve eaten in the past twenty-four hours but would die if I didn’t fix my hair and look presentable before leaving the house. They don’t even treat me like I’m their daughter. They’ve never been to even one of my games, every college I’ve looked at and applied for I’ve had to do on my own, they tell me I shouldn’t even bother trying to become a police officer because it’s a “Man’s job”- Hell, I have to buy my own tampons because my mom only buys them for herself and she gets mad if I use one of hers! And I still crave the idea of being loved and accepted by them. They have never once given me any reason to believe that they care, and yet… I still wish they would. God, I… How… How fucked up is that?”

Nicole she had stopped fighting against the tears pouring freely down her cheeks long ago, and as her body trembled while she choked down sobs she waited in anticipation of the laughter, the mockery, or some other form of teasing response that she would have surely received had she opened up this way to one of her fellow teammates, most of whom she appreciated the friendship of, but were also mostly male, and lacking in terms of being in touch with any sort of emotion that didn’t have to do with food, sports, or sex. She waited- But the laughter did not come.

There were no taunting remarks in the air, no claps on the shoulder and cliché words of encouragement that never ranged much beyond “Lighten up!” or “Pull it together, Haught!” and especially the old classic that didn’t even actually apply to her but was used to try and cheer her up regardless- “Be a man!”

She allowed herself to open her eyes cautiously and saw in the hazel irises staring back at her not amusement but understanding. Consideration. Sympathy. Emotions with which the auburn-haired girl was unfamiliar, simply because expressing her emotional issues was not an opportunity she was often given around her largely male group of friends, and the practice of empathy was certainly not something her parents were even capable of teaching her. But here she was now, sitting alone with a girl she had only ever sent a passing glance across the school hallways, one that was not only willing to let her talk about her problems but didn’t treat her as though she shouldn’t have problems in the first place.

“I’m so sorry Nicole,” Waverly’s voice was genuine and honest, her gaze not judgmental as Nicole feared it would be given her reputation as a popular, carefree jock, and even in nothing more than the dingy light that was still visible from behind the clouds of the night sky, the look on the brunette girl’s face was one of unmistakable sorrow. The athlete didn’t have the right words in mind that would allow her to exhibit a vocal response, but in an attempt to give her thanks she cautiously reached her hand over and gently squeezed Waverly’s fingers between her own. She broke the contact after only a few short moments when she immediately retracted her hand back to its resting place in her lap, but though it was brief the message behind it was one of clear gratitude.

Silence soon once again broke out between the two girls, and while it was less tense than it had been before, comfortable certainly wasn’t yet the right word to use as a description. Tolerable, perhaps, suited it for the time being. This time, however, it wasn’t one of the two high schoolers sitting side by side that interrupted the reticence, rather the sound of Waverly’s ringtone echoing loudly throughout the empty library and effectively startling both of them enough that they threw themselves apart at the noise.

“Sorry, it’s uh…” Waverly’s eyes trailed down to where her phone’s caller I.D. spelled out “Wynonna” in bold lettering at the top of the screen, but she quickly shut the cellphone off and shoved it into her back pocket forcefully. “No one. It’s no one,” she finished. Nicole could tell Waverly didn’t want to be pressed about the issue and she didn’t attempt to do so, regardless of her curiosity. She knew who Wynonna Earp was- Anyone in Purgatory old enough to have met her would remember someone like her- And she was certainly familiar with the story of the Earp sisters.

When Waverly was just four years old, her mother Michelle just up and left their family without so much as a goodbye. She gave no indication as to where she had gone and didn’t provide any contact information, so she hadn’t been heard from since. Just two years after that Willa- Being the eldest of the Earp girls at 14- Snuck out of the house one night to go to a party, but she never showed up, and the next morning there was no trace of her. After a few weeks, the rescue teams still had no leads and no possible explanation as to what had happened to her, so eventually the search was called off.

Despite his position in the Sheriff’s Department, Ward Earp was best known in Purgatory for his drinking problem, and it only got worse by the day following Willa’s disappearance. He became a regular in Shorty’s bar, to the point where Shorty himself refused to continue serving him because of the clear damage Ward was causing himself. Since he couldn’t drink in Shorty’s, he started making the hour-long drive into nearby cities and rotating between a few different bars, but one night he attempted to drive home while heavily intoxicated and drove head first into a tree coming around a corner. He was immediately killed on impact with a BAC of .45, and Wynonna and Waverly were taken into the custody of their Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis.

By the time Wynonna graduated from high school, she’d earned herself quite the reputation as a troublemaker who hadn’t inherited anything from Ward but his craving for whiskey. She left Purgatory by the time she turned 19 with her half of the money Gus had kept for her from Ward’s life insurance, and she hadn’t been seen in town since.

She wasn’t about to say it, but Nicole had seen Wynonna’s name pop up on the screen just as clearly. Was the elder of the two sisters back in Purgatory? Was that the reason that Waverly was also in the library in the middle of the night? The redhaired athlete talked with her older sister Hayley often enough, and even though the older woman was currently away at college, the thought of not seeing her in four years- As had been the case with the Earp sisters- Was unfathomable to Nicole. Though, she supposed it was a bit of a different situation, considering Wynonna had purposefully left with the intention of never being found again.

Waverly didn’t feel like explaining herself just yet, even after Nicole had opened up about her own personal struggles, and for that she did feel a bit guilty. But, regardless, she just wasn’t ready to talk about her feelings towards Wynonna with someone who was still- Despite whatever interactions that had occurred previously- A complete alien to Waverly and her life, and considering she wasn’t even comfortable discussing the issue with Robin- Someone that shared her passion for school and whom she considered to be her closest friend, she didn’t feel it was fitting that she spill out a bundle of emotions to someone who didn’t know her. And even if all of that wasn’t important, Waverly was still unsure herself about what she felt towards her sister.

There were of course feelings of anger and betrayal, and she doubted Wynonna would ever earn her trust back to its full extent. But simultaneously, there was an incredible longing to run up and hug the older woman until she was physically incapable of doing so, crying into her arms for hours while she explained everything that Wynonna had missed while she was away, desires that made saying that Waverly hated the darker haired woman an impossible task.

Whatever she felt towards her sister, Waverly was not confident enough to open herself up in such a vulnerable way, and as nice as Nicole’s company had been throughout the night, she wasn’t ready to trust her with information that could cause her more pain than she was already carrying. She had been betrayed too many times by too many people she loved- Why would an outright stranger have any motive to do differently? There was no concrete evidence of a more positive outcome, and therefore she was prepared for the worst.

It wasn’t at all lost on her that she was unfairly lumping Nicole in with her previous experiences, but those experiences were all she had to go on, and if there was any sort of pattern it was that anyone Waverly allowed to get close had turned around and abandoned her in one way or another. There was only so much betrayal she was willing to take before she stopped trusting everyone completely, and if it were up to her, she wasn’t about to find out if she could handle anything else.

* * *

Waverly didn’t remember falling asleep, just as she didn’t remember climbing up onto the window sill, but when she was suddenly startled awake by the sound of her phone it took her a moment to process that she had indeed been unconscious and was now in a different position than she had been in previously. Through a blurry field of vision Waverly could just barely make out Wynonna’s name on her caller I.D., and she didn’t hesitate to ignore the call. After checking the time and seeing the clock that read 2:23 A.M., she tucked her phone away back into the pocket of Nicole’s coat. _Nicole._ Where was she? Had something happened? Had she left on her own accord?

“Nicole?” her voice came out raspy, and her attempt to speak forced her to realize how dry her throat was, so she swallowed a few times and did her best to regain her voice before trying again. “Nicole, are you there?”

Even at a more audible volume Waverly still received no answer, so she turned her attention to clearing the sleep from her vision, and it was then that she noticed the small folded up piece of paper on the opposite end of the window sill. Sitting up and reaching across her legs to retrieve the paper, she unfolded it to reveal a short, handwritten message neatly printed between the blue lines on the page.

_“Dear Waverly,_

_You fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake you, but I had to get home before my mom noticed I was gone. I know neither one is ideal, but I figured the window sill would be more comfortable than the ground to sleep on. Thank you for letting me talk about my parents._

_Since you were also here in the middle of the night, I think it’s safe to assume you’re dealing with some stuff too. Please don’t feel obligated, but if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m available, judgement free and completely confidential. I know we don’t know each other that well, but I’m glad you were here tonight. I never thought the library would ever have such a big influence on my life. It’s almost like this is a secret place to go that makes the world seem less intimidating. Do you feel that too, or is that just me being weird?_

_Oh! And P.S.- You can keep the coat!_

_Sincerely, Nicole.”_

Waverly felt a small tug at the corners of her lips after reading the note, and once she finished she folded it back up neatly and slid it into the free pocket of the coat. Knowing that she had to return home at some point, the brunette reluctantly stood from her position next to the window and hugged the coat she was wearing tightly to herself. She could just catch a few fading traces of perfume still embedded into the coat’s material, a pleasantly sweet aroma which almost exactly resembled that of freshly baked, vanilla-dipped donuts. It was a scent that wrapped her in comfort, and even with the knowledge that once she returned home she would have to face the reality of her conflicting feelings regarding sister’s return home, she couldn’t deny that the sugary scent of Nicole’s perfume almost made her feel as though she wasn’t facing it alone.


	2. Just A Passing Glance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their encounter in the library, Nicole and Waverly are both left equally confused and conflicted about the nature of whatever relationship they do or don’t have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I’m sorry this update has taken awhile, but I promise you that I am working on all my stories as much as I can! Anyway, this chapter is one that I’m nervous about just because I don’t know how it’s going to go, so let me know in the comments what you guys thought of it!

As Waverly stood gathering her books for first period from her locker she remained alert to her surroundings, her eyes darting to the side every few seconds to check for a familiar head of blonde hair approaching. As much as she loved him and as close of friends as they were, she wanted nothing more than for Robin to be absent, because she wasn’t yet ready to discuss the fact that her sister was home with anyone, not even the boy she had been best friends with since kindergarten. Not even counting the fact that she’d arrived back home around 3:00 A.M. and had only been able to catch around three hours of sleep, she also was seriously dreading the end of the day when she would be forced to return home and face her problems head on.

Granted, hoping for an absence was a long shot considering he hadn’t missed a day of school since fifth grade, but if she learned anything in the past two days it was that highly unlikely did not mean impossible, an argument she had two personal examples she could use to back it up. The first was that the previous night Wynonna had returned to Purgatory after three years of travelling all over the world and within those years only bothering to call exactly thrice- Every year on her birthday- For a conversation that lasted about 5 minutes total.

The second example she had of something highly unlikely happening had been running into Nicole Haught- Popular, outgoing, captain of every sports team she was on Nicole Haught- In the library after school had closed. Not only had Nicole proven that some jocks were actual humans with real emotions, she had treated Waverly as just her equal, not as if she were too low on the social ladder to interact with.

Waverly really did try not to judge books by their covers, but that was a task typically easier said than done when more often than not, most of her fellow students tended to match their covers perfectly. But surprisingly, she had never previously been able to draw any conclusive results about Nicole’s personality. She presented herself as easy going, friendly, and Waverly couldn’t recall ever seeing the ginger athlete say or do anything intended to negatively impact someone else. But because she didn’t match the typical jock profile like the vast majority of student athletes in their school, she had left her feelings towards Nicole neutral. After their encounter in the library, however, she had been pleasantly surprised to discover that her fiery haired classmate wasn’t just putting on a show when she was around other people.

“Boo!”

Without warning Waverly was ripped from her thoughts by the shout as she threw herself backwards, and when she readjusted her eyes suddenly she could Robin was standing in front of her giggling profusely.

“Oh my god, you should’ve seen your face Waves! That was great!” he cackled, lifting up his glasses to wipe at his eyes. Rolling her eyes and taking a moment to collect herself, the brunette shook her head and playfully shoved her taller counterpart against a locker.

“You’re an ass,” she muttered, feeling a light shade of pink burning in her cheeks.

“Awe come on now, you know you loooove me,” Robin drew out the word dramatically, slinging his arm around her shoulder. “Anyhoo, don’t be mad at me. I walked up to you and started talking, but you just stood there looking completely zoned out. I figured scaring you was my only shot at getting your attention,” the taller boy shrugged with a small laugh, and though Waverly did her best to match his smile it was clear that Robin could see something was off.

“Seriously Waves, is everything alright with you?  You don’t look like you slept at all last night,” he observed, pulling his arm back from around her shoulders and looking down at her in genuine concern.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m all good, I was just up late doing research last night,” the lie was delivered with a weak execution, but it was at least something that had actually happened to her on more than one occasion. Robin didn’t appear to be convinced, but thankfully he didn’t press the issue further.

“If you say so. You gotta stop doing that to yourself girl! Beauty rest is important! Why do you think I sleep thirteen hours a day?” he puffed his chest out flamboyantly while tossing his head back in a dramatic hair flip, and Waverly couldn’t stifle a laugh.

“Oh yeah? Thirteen hours of sleep and I _still_  look better than you after getting three,” she teased, her lips curling up into a mischievous grin. In mock offense, Robin faked a gasp and placed his hand over his chest.

“Offense taken!” he held up a hand to Waverly’s face and turned his head away, but he could only keep up the act for a few seconds before the pair erupted into a fit of giggles. Through her laughter, Waverly happened to notice Nicole standing by her locker nearby. Upon making eye contact, the redhead flashed her a brilliant smile and waved at her, causing the shorter brunette to immediately turn bright red and offer back a shy smile out of embarrassment.

“Waves, what are you doing?” at the sound of Robin’s voice Waverly’s head immediately snapped forward and she fought the instinct to look back over towards Nicole.

“Uh, nothing, just um… Just observing,” she was almost positive that the entire hallway could audibly hear the sound of her heartbeat thrashing wildly against her chest.

“Observing… What? Honestly Waverly, you seem really off today, do you wanna go to the nurse and lie down?” Robin questioned, occasionally glancing down at her to ensure she was still standing.

“No! No, it’s fine, really, I’m good,” when she noticed that her taller companion had turned to look forward so as not to crash into something or someone, Waverly chanced sneaking a glimpse back towards Nicole’s locker, but the tall ginger was nowhere in sight. After thinking about it for a moment, she decided that was probably for the best. Why did she want to see her anyway?

Even if Nicole was different from the rest of her fellow jocks, she was one of the few, and becoming friends with someone like her wasn’t something that just happened to anyone who was interested. Waverly was the type of girl who had small friend groups and preferred it that way. She always felt out of place at parties or sporting events, and she would much rather spend her time hanging out with a few close friends somewhere away from the rest of their peers. Still, she knew if she kept thinking about her she would only be more interested in talking to the athlete, so she decided that her best bet was to avoid looking at her altogether. And hopefully in a few days she would forget all about Nicole, or at least allow the events from the previous night to fade a little in her memory.

“Come on, we should get to chem, we’re gonna be late if we don’t hurry,” Waverly pointed out as she noticed the clock on the wall nearby. Hoping she had at least managed to avoid a confrontation for the time being, the brunette slung her bag over her shoulder and quickly made her way down the hallway with Robin by her side.

* * *

“So, do you know who you’re gonna live with yet?” Nicole sighed at the question, shrugging and shaking her head. The school cafeteria wasn’t exactly the ideal location she’d had in mind to explain the situation with her parents to Dolls, but she wasn’t exactly an expert at hiding her feelings and they’d been good friends long enough now that he could tell when she wasn’t herself. Luckily, they always ate at a table alone instead of with the basketball team, just because they preferred a more quiet setting during lunch, and they’d never been bothered or questioned about it.

“I dunno Dolls, do I stay with the psychopathic mom who demands to invade my privacy and constantly look through my phone? Or with the good ole’ alcoholic dad that needs beer to function or feel genuine human emotions anymore? Both are such class acts, I just don’t know where I would have it better!” she groaned, letting her head fall to the table in defeat. “Maybe you could just take this book and drop it on my head from as high up as you can get it, and if we’re lucky, it’ll kill me.”

“Ah, ah, ah, if you die, our basketball team won’t be able to win a single game the entire season!” Dolls chuckled as he playfully nudged her arm.

“Oh wow, thanks, really reassuring to know that even the other captain believes the fate of the entire team is resting solely on my shoulders,” the auburn-haired girl laughed as she lifted her head and pushed her hair back out of her face.

“Eh, but you knew that already,” he teased with a coy grin, his tongue poking through his teeth as he held back his laughter. Nicole responded with a playful eyeroll and sighed, leaning back in her chair a bit.

“I really don’t know. Both of them are terrible people and terrible parents, so there’s never really a way to appease them. At this point it’s just gonna come down to which one is the least terrible between the two,” the athlete paused as s a revelation hit her before letting out another groan. “Oh god, it’s like my parents are Trump and Hillary and I’m just trying to figure out which one I should pick so that I have the best chance of making it out alive. Goddammit America,” she let her head fall back down to the table as Dolls let out a small laugh and leaned across, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, you’ll get through this. I got your back, and you know you can always count on any of your teammates for help. You don’t have to go through this alone,” he promised in a sincere tone of voice. Nicole lifted her head just high enough to give him a smile of gratitude, but the sight of a familiar brunette girl a few tables down caught her attention and she had to try not to immediately stare in her direction.

“Thanks Dolls, it’s always nice to know I can count on you,” she gave him a tired smile, exhaling loudly and slinking down into her chair and staring down at her lunch tray. She hadn’t really been hungry yet since she’d woken up in the morning, and she’d spent most of the lunch period mindlessly moving food around with her fork.

“Anytime, Haught. I’m gonna head up and see if I want any of the leftovers, you wanna come?” he asked, standing up with his empty tray.

“Nah you go ahead, and if you don’t see anything that peaks your interest you can help yourself to anything I’ve got,” she pushed her tray away from her a bit as Dolls nodded and turned to head towards the kitchen. Nicole’s gaze was locked in on a random spot on the table, but when she felt like Dolls was far enough away, she let her eyes wander up and land on a table a few rows down where she could see Waverly sitting with a small group of people.

Even though only his blonde hair was visible above the heads of a few students in her line of sight, Robin Jett was easy to identify. He had been the captain of the volleyball team since sophomore year, and they had talked a couple of times before when they were in similar company. He always seemed to be looking for ways to make other people laugh.

Sitting next to Waverly was another familiar face, though only because Chrissy was the daughter of Sheriff Nedley, a sweet older man who had always treated her well if they ever had the chance to talk. Chrissy seemed nice as well, but she appeared to be shy around people outside her immediate friend group. She and Nicole were in the same advanced Biology II course and she rarely ever spoke in front of their class.

Finally, sitting in a seat that positioned his back towards Nicole was Jeremy Chetri, the president of the science club and one of the smartest kids in the school. Even though it was only junior year, and no one really started paying attention until around halfway through senior year, he was currently at the top of the class and in the lead for valedictorian with a GPA of 4.5.

And of course, there was Waverly Earp. Waverly Earp, who she had spent the previous night with in the school library and poured her heart out to without any disregard for the possible repercussions of such actions. It wasn’t that she believed someone like Waverly would go around gossiping about other’s personal secrets- Far from it actually- But her anxiety had grown quite persistent over the past year and despite her best efforts to constantly push her comfort zone and go out of her way to socialize with everybody, there was no ailment to the ever-persistent build up or irrational worries and fears that constantly plagued her mind. Genuinely, she did enjoy meeting new people and talking with others, but sometimes her anxiety built up so much that it became a chore just to smile at someone in the hallway.

Nicole’s curiosity had also been peaked when she saw Wynonna’s name pop up on Waverly’s caller I.D. Ordinarily she wouldn’t even assume that something as simple as a phone call represented such significance, but Waverly had also shown up to the library assuming that it would be free of all other occupants. The ginger teen only realized she was staring when Waverly’s eyes caught hers and she immediately darted her gaze away. Nicole supposed that was an appropriate reaction to noticing a practical stranger staring from across the cafeteria, but earlier in the morning the brunette had held her gaze and returned her smile, and now she seemed to be actively avoiding looking in the athlete’s general direction, which only heightened her anxiety levels.

Had she done something wrong? Was Waverly not interested in being associated with each other? They really didn’t know anything about each other, aside from things associated with sports or school. Maybe she just didn’t think they’d work well as friends? Did the shorter girl not feel the same sort of connection that she had felt in the library, like they were supposed to have run into each other?

“Nicole Haught and Waverly Earp, please report to the principal’s office, Nicole Haught and Waverly Earp to the principal’s office please.”

Following the sudden announcement over the loudspeaker a wave of silence ripples across the cafeteria and Nicole could feel the entire room’s questioning eyes and judgmental gazes burning into the back of her skull as she slowly stood up and gathered her things before exiting the cafeteria and heading down the hall towards the office. She didn’t bother waiting to see if Waverly was behind her or not, she just had to get out of the cafeteria before she started to hyperventilate and go into a panic attack. Though it wasn’t like being summoned to the principal’s office was exactly what she would consider a stress relieving situation.

Stepping through the door of the front office carefully, Nicole waited uncomfortably clutching the straps of her bag and pleading with the universe that one of the secretaries would look up and notice her so she wouldn’t have to bring their attention to herself directly. Luckily, one woman seemed to have heard Waverly entering the room and she looked up at the two teenagers standing in front of her. Her eyes flicked between the two of them for a moment, almost as if she were studying them.

“Head down the hallway to your left, it’s the last doorway at the end of the hall.”

And with that the woman’s attention was immediately turned to a different task, and Nicole glanced over at Waverly anxiously before beginning the walk down the corridor. The taller athlete was unsure if she should knock or just open the door, but before she had a chance to make up her mind her thoughts were cut off.

“The door is open.”

Nicole pulled the door back and held it open for Waverly, who briefly glanced at her and nodded in appreciation, and they stood in front of the principal’s desk with expressions on their faces that couldn’t have been reassuring.

“Hello girls, why don’t you both have a seat,” the man behind the desk, otherwise known as Principal Steinman, gestured to the chairs in front of the desk and they both sat without hesitation. “Now I want you to know that neither of you is in trouble... Yet,” he began, looking over at his computer screen. “I want you both to be completely and totally honest with me, and if you do that this will go a lot smoother, alright?” Nicole was too afraid to speak so she just nodded, and Waverly answered with a barely audible “Yes.”

“Good,” turning the computer monitor so it was facing the two teenagers, the principal hit pause on a screen that showed Nicole entering the library doors after dark, then fast forwarded a bit and paused again on Waverly also entering through the same doors.

“Now, to begin. Why don’t you two first explain to me what you were doing in the library after school hours?”

* * *

“That was the scariest thing I’ve ever had to sit through in my entire life,” Nicole didn’t bother censoring herself as she walked swiftly out of the principal’s office, her mind racing and her heart still thrashing against her chest.

“Thank god they actually do have cameras installed in the hallways, or else we might have been blamed for it anyway,” Waverly agreed, feeling a small wave of relief washing over her.

The reason they had been called into the office was the courtyard in the center of the high school had been found vandalized by a janitor earlier in the day, and it was unclear how those responsible had entered the building, and after seeing both Nicole and Waverly going into the library they were suspicious of their motives. Luckily, the doors on the inside of the library that led into the school are always locked at the end of the school day, and the cameras outside the library doors showed that they remained closed the entire night. After being cleared of the vandalism accusations they were given a brief talking-to about using school facilities without the supervision of authorized personal, and once they promised not to break the rules again they were cleared to leave.

“Jeez, I hope whoever is responsible is caught and forced to go through that interrogation,” the tall ginger chuckled, and Waverly responded with a soft half smile. They made their way out of the office and into the empty hallway. Classes weren’t scheduled to end for another 10 minutes. “Uh, Waverly, listen... I know that this is kind of... Weird now... And if you don’t want to talk or be associated or anything I’m totally cool with that,” Nicole brought up awkwardly.

“What? No! It’s not that at all! I just... I keep telling myself that I’m not... I’m not cool enough for you to want to be friends with,” Waverly admitted shyly, her eyes cast down at the floor.

“Not cool enough? Do you really think I buy into all that popularity bullshit? I don’t care what anyone thinks about you or me,” the taller girl promised.

“Really? Well, I mean... I also don’t really know anything about you,” the brunette girl pointed out.

“Oh, yeah...” Nicole’s face visibly fell a slight bit, and Waverly couldn’t hold back a smile.

“Yeah, so, I was thinking that maybe we could hang out some time and we could learn more about our real selves, not the way everybody sees us in school,” she finished, and the fiery haired girl looked down at her with a grin.

“That sounds fun, I’m in,” she agreed with a firm nod.

“Cool. Uh, can I have your phone number? You know, so we can actually communicate outside the school,” Waverly could feel her face burning and she wasnt entirely sure why, but after they exchanged contact information she couldn’t help but feel excited about it. Maybe it was just that she didn’t often get the chance to make any new friends. It’d been a long time since she’d really talked with people outside of her select social circle, but it also felt like it was something a bit more important.

“Well I should get going so I can get my stuff for English, but I’ll uh, I’ll text you later Waverly,” Nicole flashed her another bright smile and waved briefly before hurrying down the hallway towards her locker. Waverly watched after her with the corners of her lips turned up, but her moment of bliss was cut short by the harsh buzzing of her cellphone in her back pocket. Already knowing who was calling, she hesitated for a few moments as she stared at the name across the top of the screen. She was tempted to just answer it and see what her sister would say, but there was a stubborn fire in the pit of her stomach that refused to let her answer the call. She stared at the phone until the call went to voicemail, then shut it completely off and slipped it back into her pocket. Whatever Wynonna wanted to talk about could wait until she was home, and even then she was still unsure whether or not she was even planning to listen.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what did you guys think? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Let me know in the comments down below, I always love reading your suggestions and reactions to the story!


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